Coin-detecting device for vending-machines.



M. HOFHEIMER.

COIN DETECTING DEVICE FOR VENDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. I910. RENEWED JUNE 16, 1916.

1 12,953. Patented Ian. 16, 1917.

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MAURICE HOFI-IEIMER, OF. BALTIMORE, MARYLAND,

MEETS, TO AUTOSALES GUM AND CHOCOLATE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COIN-DETECTING DEVICE FOR VENDING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16, 1917.

Application filed November 18, 1910, Serial No. 593,030. Renewed June 16, 1916. Serial No. 104,118.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MAURICE Horrrnnrnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Detecting Devices for VendingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coin detecting devices more particularly designed for use in connection with coin-operated vending machines.

The invention consists of the various features hereinafter shown and described, and more particularly set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which like reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation, taken centrally, of a vending machine equipped with the coin detecting devices; Fig. 2 is an interior view looking toward the rear face of the front plate of the casing and showing the coin detecting devices in elevation; and Fig. 3 is a fragmental view, taken horizontally, on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the casing is preferably made in two sections and of sheet metal.

1 is the back plate of the casing and constituting one section thereof.

2 is the front plate of the casing having the side walls 3 and 4-. and top wall 5 formed integral therewith.

6 and 7 are two upright magazines arranged side by side or abreast of each other. These magazines are formed of sheet metal, are open at their tops and may be soldered or riveted to the face of the .back plate 1. The magazine 6 is provided at its lower end with front and back rails 8 and 9 designed to support a stack of packages. The magazine 7 is provided with two similar rails 10 and 11. These magazines are separated a short distance from each other so as to provide at their lower ends a path for the coin, as will hereafter appear. Bridging this space and secured to the front faces of the magazines is a guide 12 to direct the coin into said space.

13 is an ejector bar Or ejecting packages from the magazines. Secured to the front face of the ejector bar 13 is acoin carrier 1 1 providing a slot 15 to receive a coin. Directly beneath this carrier extends a plate 16 which is cut out of the back plate 1 and extends forward in a horizontal position. The plate 16 constitutes a rail on which the coin is supported with its upper edge in line with the inner end of one of the packages, as shown in Fig. 1. The plate 16 extends over the top of the coin receptacle 17 and terminates a short distance from the side walls of the coin receptacle so as to provide inlet openings 18, and 19 (not shown) there to for the coins. The coin receptacle is secured to the face of the back plate 1.

The lower ends of the side walls 3 and 4 inclose the sides and bottom of the coin receptacle 17 and so as to provide delivery chutes 20, and 21 (not shown) on either side of the coin receptacle for the delivery of packages by the ejector. The back plate 1 has a lower extension 22 which is bent forward to form a horizontal shelf 23 which stands a short distance below the casing and directly beneath the opening 24 of the front section of the casing. When a package is discharged from its magazine, it passes beyond the side wall of the coin receptacle and into one of the delivery chutes or 21 and passes out through the opening 24: onto the shelf 23 from which it may be removed by the hand of the patron.

25 is the slot in the top wall of the casing for receiving the coins.

26 is a magnet secured to the front plate 2 by stud 27. The upper side of the magnet is inclined so that a coin passing through the coin slot will fall upon and run down the upper side of the magnet.

28 is a guide pin on the front plate 2 which insures the passage of the coin along the magnet. The momentum of the coin traveling over the magnet is such as to cause it to jump over the guide pin 29, se cured to the front plate 2, and against the side wall 3. It then falls upon the inwardly projecting and inclined flange 30 which lies against the front wall 2. This flange 30 is carried by the lower end of the gate 31 consisting of a sheet metal plate carried on the rod 32. The rod 32 extends across the inner side of the front plate 2 ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE Assistiand is supported by the side walls 3 and 4. The gate 31 is arranged to slide on this red and is also capable of swinging thereon to and from the plate 2. It is provided at its upper end with the flange 33 projecting toward the plate 2 and extending directly underneath one end of the coin slot 25. It is held in normal position by a spring 3 f. The sliding movement of the gate 31 is limited by the side wall 3 and the pin extending downwardly from the top wall 5.

36 is a guide wing carried by the gate to prevent the coin from falling laterally off the magnet. Secured to the front plate 2 is an L-shaped rail 37 which is the proper distance from and parallel with the flange 30. The distance of the rail from the flange is such that a proper coin of a proper diameter, such as an unmutilated penny 38, when moving down over the flange 30, will slightly overlap the rail 37, as shown in Fig. 2. The rail 37 is provided with a guide wing 39 projecting at an inclination from the plate 2. Fail 37 is also provided with a right angled flange 10 which terminates at one end in a cam ll. The space between the lower edge of the rail 37 and the flange 30 is of sufficient size to receive a slug or disk of a scant diameter or slightly less than that of a proper coin. This space forms a pocket which constitutes a trap for such a scant sized disk and, of course, is in com munication with the coin chute. The coin chute extends from the coin slot between the front plate 2 and wing 36 along over the magnet, thence between the gate 31 and plate 2, over the pin 29 to the wall 3, turning thence along the flange 30 and overlapping the lower edge of the rail 37, thence against the guide wing 39 through the guide 12 and to the coin carrier 14. The coin chute, as thus described, overlaps the lower edge of the rail 37 and communicating with this portion of the coin chute is the pocket for trapping a slug, said pocket ly ing between flange 30 and the lower edge of rail 37 but not overlapping this rail. The slug of scant diameter cannot pass out of this pocket toward the guide wing 39 because of the downward turn of the rail 37 which blocks its passage.

I The gate 31 carries a lip l2 arranged to cooperate with the cam ll. When a coin is pushed into the coin slot 25, it engages flange 33 of gate 31 and thrusts the gate to one side and in opposition to its spring 34:. As the gate moves laterally, its lip 4E2 moves over the cam 41 of flange 40, thus moving the gate away from plate 2. If a slug has been trapped in the pocket the movement of the gate by the insertion of a coin opens the pocket and permits the slug to drop down into the coin receptacle but without passing into the coin receiver 14.

The inner edge of the flange 30 is cut away along its inner portion to form a slot narrower than the thickness of a, proper coin but snflicient to receive a disk of scant thickness. Thus, when a slug consisting ol a disk of scant thickness is deposited in the machine, it passes out of the coin chute through this slot 4E3. Or if it is trapped in the pocket, above described, with its lower edge projecting part way through this slot l3, it will escape when the next coin moves back the gate If an iron or other magnetizable disk is inserted in the coin slot, it will be deflected by the magnet so as to roll into a by-patli along the flange 4-0 of rail 37, whence it passes between the front plate and lip 32), dropping into the coin receptacle at one side of the carrier it.

While the preferred embodiment of the various features of the invention is shown in the drawings, it will be understood that many of these features may be variously modified and that various ones of them may be used in other relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Pihat is claimed and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:-

\ 1. In a coin-controlled machine, the cone bination of a movable gate having a trans verse flange at the bottom for receiving and guiding the deposited coin into operative position, a fixed rail having an edge or shoulder in alinement above said flange and substantially parallel therewith, said shoulder and said flange being so spaced apart that disks of less than the prescribed diameter pass into the space between said shoulder and said flange, means on said fixed rail for retaining a trapped disk within said space, said rail and said flange being so arranged that a coin or disk of proper diameter overlaps said shoulder and is-held by said rail out of said trapping space, and means for operating said gate to release said trapped disks.

2. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination of a movable gate having a transverse flange at the bottom for receiving and guiding the deposited coin into operative position, a fixed rail having an edge or shoulder in alinement above said flange and substantially parallel therewith, said shoulder and said flange being so spaced apart that disks of less than the prescribed diameter pass into the space between said shoulder and said flange, means on said fixed rail for retaining a trapped disk within said space, said rail and said flange being so arranged that a coin or disk of proper diameter overlaps said shoulder and is held by said rail out of said trapping space, and means for causing operation of said gate by the entering coin to release the trapped disks.

3. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination of amovable gate having a transverse flange at the bottom for receiving and guiding the deposited coin into operative position, a fixed rail having an edge or shoulder arranged above said flange and so spaced therefrom that disks of scant diameter are caught and held between said shoulder and said flange, and cooperating means on said gate and said rail for separating the same to release the trapped disks.

4. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination of a movable gate having a transverse flange at the bottom for receiving and guiding the deposited coin into operative position, a fixed rail having an edge or shoulder arranged above said flange and so spaced therefrom that disks of scant diameter are caught and held between said shoulder and said flange, a cam on said rail, a lip on said gate arranged to ride over said cam to cause operation of said gate and rail, whereby trapped disks are released, and means for actuating said gate to cause cooperation of said cam and lip.

5. In a coin-controlled machine, the com bination of a movable gate having a transverse flange at the bottom for receiving and guiding the deposited coin into operative position, a fixed rail having an edge or shoulder arranged above said flange and so spaced therefrom that disks of scant diameter are caught and held between said shoulder and said flange, a cam on said rail, and a lip on said gate arranged to ride over said cam to cause operation of said gate and rail, whereby trapped disks are released, said gate having a portion extending into the path of the entering coin, whereby the latter actuates said gate to cause cooperation of said cam and lip.

6. In a coin-controlled machine, a coinchute comprising a fixed member and a movable member arranged to catch and hold disks of less than prescribed diameter, said movable member being mounted to swing away from said fixed member, and means for sliding said movable member on its sup port to cause it to swing and thereby re lease the trapped disks.

In a coin-controlled machine, a coinchute having a fixed wall and a movable wall, means for slidably and pivotally supporting said movable wall, and means for operating said movable wall to clear the coinchute.

8. In a coin-controlled machine, a coinchute having a fixed wall and a movable wall, means for slidably and pivotally supporting said movable wall, and means controlled by the entering coin for operating said movable wall to clear the coin-chute.

9. In a coin-controlled machine, a coindetector comprising, in combination, a fixed member and a movable member, said movable member having a coin-gaging edge so arranged that disks of less than the prescribed diameter travel under said edge and are thereby trapped and held against further passage, while coins of proper diameter overlap said edge and are thereby maintained out of the trapping space under said edge and allowed to pass freely on into operative position, and means controlled by the entering coin for automatically causing operation of said movable member to release the trapped disks.

In a coin-controlled machine, a coin detector comprising, in combination, a fixed member and a movable member adapted to form a trap in which disks of less than the prescribed diameter are caught and held, said trap permitting the proper coin to pass freely on its way through the coin-chute, means adapted to engage a coin as it enters the coin-chute for sliding said movable member, and means for simultaneously swinging said movable member away from said fixed member to release the trapped disks.

11. In a coin-controlled machine having a casing, a coin detector comprising, in combination, a rail secured flat to one wall of said casing and inclining downwardly, a pending gate pivoted at its upper end in said casing so as to swing toward and away from said rail, a flange on the lower end of said gate, said rail having an edge which cooperates with said flange to form a trap for catching and holding disks of less than the prescribed diameter, and means for swinging said gate to release the trapped disks.

12. In a coin-controlled machine having a casing, a coin detector comprising, in combination, a Vertical gate, a horizontal rod on which said gate is slidably and pivotally mounted, a rail secured flat to one wall of said casing and cooperating with the lower end of said gate to form a trap for catching and holding disks of less than the prescribed diameter, and means for swinging said gate to release the trapped disks.

13. In a coin-controlled machine, a coin detector comprising, in combination, a fixed rail, a depending gate adapted to slide on and swing about a horizontal pivot and cooperating with said rail to form a trap for catching and holding disks vof less than the prescribed diameter, said gate having a portion extending into the path of a coin as it enters the coin-chute, whereby said gate is shifted on its pivot and swung away from i said rail to release the trapped disks.

I 14. In a coin-controlled machine having a casing, a coin detector comprising, in combination, a vertically swinging gate extending downwardly from the top of said casing and terminating in a lateral flange, a fixed rail secured to one wall of said casing at a considerable distance below the swinging axis of said gate, said rail cooperating with said flange to form a trap for catching and holding disks of less than the prescribed diameter, and means for swinging said gate to release the trapped disks.

15. In a coin-controlled machine, a coin detector comprising, in combination, a fixed member and a movable member arranged to form a trap in which disks of less than the prescribed diameter are caught and held, said trap permitting the proper coin to pass freely on its Way to the coin-chute, means adapted to engage a coin as it enters the coin-chute for bodily shifting said movable member, and coacting cam means on said members for simultaneously swinging said movable member away from the fixed member to release the trapped disks.

16. In a coin-controlled machine having a casing, a coin detector comprising, in combination, a guide member fixed flat to one wall of the casing, a movable member hinged near the top of the casing and extending downwardly to form with said guide member a trap in which disks of less than the prescribed diameter are caught and held, said trap permitting the proper coin to pass freely on its way to the coin-chute, means carried by said movable member for engaging a coin as it enters the coin-chute, whereby said movable member is shifted bodily along its supporting axis, and means for causing said movable member to swing away from said guide member during its bodily movement to release the trapped disks.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAURICE I-IOFHEIMER.

Vitnesses J 01m A. BOYD, Josnrr-r Ro'rri.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

